Independence Day (1996)
We've always believed we weren't alone. On July 4th, we'll wish we were.
Would you believe me if I said that there’s a perfect movie for tonight, and yet I haven’t done it? Of course you would, I’ve not done obvious movies a ton and heaven knows how many movies I thought I did and never actually did. In this case, I’ve even done the sequel and not the original, so just further shame to the pile I suppose. Anyways, let’s correct it and go back to a classic I’ve seen dozens of times already but wouldn’t mind watching again, because today is Independence Day.
It’s a simple story - aliens show up to Earth and humanity doesn’t know what to do. A cable guy manages to crack the code they are bouncing across our satellites, so it’s not long to answer the question “are they friendly.” News flash, they aren’t! After a stunning display of fire power, it’s up to the folks of Earth to find a way to fight off the alien menace and their advanced technology. Seems old tactics of planes and bombs might not work though, so it’s gonna take some real thinking and a little bit of luck to come out on top of this one. In the more in-depth side of things you actually get to follow a couple of main groups when it comes to stories, and eventually they all intersect. It’s an interesting play, allowing for a bunch of diverse characters and chances for development and allowing for multiple angles at the same scenario.
Actors get a lot to play with here, and there’s a bunch of them to follow. Many have gone on to some pretty good careers - or already had some pretty good careers at the time of it - but that doesn’t always translate to every movie being the best they ever did. The weakest point here is probably the kid actors, who can pull the cute kid angle decent enough but (given the nature of being kids) aren’t necessarily as well versed towards delivering the craziest performances. That being said, it’s pretty good across the board, with some being more scene-chewing and others being a far bit more serious than others. It’s a good mix of serious moments with people acting serious, while also having that chance for folks to show some levity even in the serious moments - I don’t really think much complaining should really come out of the acting squad.
Characters are pretty spread out - we’ve got military types, civilian types, smart ones and drunk ones, serious ones and funny ones. A lot of the side characters end up being a bit straight-forward and attached to some classic stereotypes, but the main batch gets to do a pretty decent amount of acting. I wouldn’t say there is a ton of growth in the characters, but the relationships do change and improve over the course of the movie, and a few get some real shining moments. There will be some that are more endearing and let folks get attached to, Given that a bunch of the characters are rather likeable, it also leads to a bit of tension as you can worry for their safety, especially given the fact most the main ones - even if they do have some problems like most humans do - seem like some nice folks.
I’ve got something important to say.
The part I imagine is the biggest question in most people’s minds will be how well it holds up. Honestly - it still looks really good. Yes, some of the effects show their age a little more than others, but for the most part - be it smart shots or some good model work - it all looks good. Some good stunts, some great fireballs, and of course everything being stitched together to sell the action is a good time in my opinion. The good far outweighs the poor effects here, but with all of that being said people tend to have a penchant to not like science fiction regardless of the effects work, and perhaps folks won’t be as attached to the alien design as they are to others. I kind of like it - it might not be my favorite, but it’s pretty solid and somewhat channels the classic Grey alien while doing something new with it as well.
Costumes are pretty modern for the time, so admittedly it doesn’t leave a ton to be impressed about. As I usually like to say though, if it’s modern and it seems like an everyday thing that you don’t notice, technically costume department is doing it’s job great. I feel that the aliens fall more into the prop department than the costume department for this one, but they look pretty darn great as far as having details and the sorts - even if perhaps they don’t feel as animated as you would imagine they would. Settings get to be pretty varied, running from normal city to burnt up apocalypse city, some fancy science bases to even a section that’s inside an alien craft and mothership. It’s a good visual variety that keeps everything from looking too samey, while also giving it a good feeling of covering a lot of ground.
Audio department does a good job. Balancing is well done, and line deliveries play out just like you’d expect. At times the overall mood of the movie might be a bit muddy - sometimes it feels a bit campy retro sci fi flick, but for the most part I think this was more as either small references or just general balance of levity to help keep entertainment value up without being a full-blown comedy. It’s meant to be serious, but not so serious that you have nightmares about the possibilities of life out there floating in space coming to exterminate those pitiful humans like a colony of ants. Most the best lines go to Will Smith in this movie, and the vast majority of things I remember line wise come from his character because of it - things like his rant dragging an alien through the desert, or “Welcome to Earth!” He’s not the only one, as our local drunkard Russell has some great ones as well that I can remember. There is an argument to be made as to if that’s because the lines are great or I saw it enough times or when I had a better memory to let it stick or some combination. Past that, there is some stuff in here for the thinking folk. I’m not digging to far into it, but even at the surface level you have things like commentary on exotic dancing in a bit of an empowering fashion, relationships, political stuff, and a bunch of other things. I can’t speak to how much these things were consciously pushed for, but it’s there for the folks that like that sort of thing.
Aliens don’t like pirates.
I don’t thing I’ve had a bad time rewatching this movie. It’s probably a bit unfair to say I like it more than it’s sequel - but for starters it’d be the truth even if things like nostalgia are most likely a bit of a factor. The acting can be a bit cheesy or overplayed, sometimes the effects can be a bit noticeably an effect - but overall the entertainment value is there. It looks good, it sounds good, and it holds up pretty well. It’s got some great lines that perhaps aren’t quotable in all situations, but they’ll stick around for a good while. You know what else? It’s a great holiday movie to throw on while your out at the grill crankin on them franks.